Mustafa Kamal resigned as International Cricket Council (ICC) president yesterday, accusing India of influencing the outcome of the Cricket World Cup quarter-final against Bangladesh.

“Everyone saw what happened during the Bangladesh-India match ... India has influenced the outcome of the match using its position (in the ICC),” Kamal, a Bangladeshi, said at the airport on his return from the tournament in Australia.

“From now on, I am a former president of the ICC. I would have reacted similarly had it happened to any other country.”

Kamal, a former president of the Bangladesh Cricket Board and now a government minister, criticised the umpires in the quarter-final and questioned their impartiality, over a disputed no-ball against India batsman Rohit Sharma.

Kamal said he spoke as a fan, and not the president, but ICC chief executive Dave Richardson termed the criticism “unfortunate” and said the umpires were beyond question.

Kamal also said the ICC asked him to either withdraw his statement or apologise for his outburst, otherwise he would be denied the duty of handing the World Cup trophy to the winning captain at the final.

“I told them during the meeting that I did not speak against any particular person or a country. Why should I apologise?” Kamal said.
He also questioned who would he apologise to given he is the ICC president.

ICC chairman Narayanaswami Srinivasan, of India, handed over the trophy to captain Michael Clarke after Australia defeated New Zealand by seven wickets in Sunday’s final in Melbourne.